Warrior
by lifeaintafairytale
Summary: How do you survive when your whole world is ripped out from underneath you? When your life falls apart, but you have to stand tall and pretend that everything's okay? When you feel like nothing will ever be normal again? You become a warrior and you fight for your survival until you find that happy ending...
1. Prologue

Have you ever had a moment in your life where it seems like the rug as just been pulled out from beneath your feet. Where your whole world just crashes and burns around you and nothing you do can stop it. That's what happened to me when the truck hit my parents head on. That's what happened to me when I answered the phone and the police told me that my parents hadn't even made it to the hospital. That's what happened to me when I realised that it was my fault that they were even in the car in the first place. And that's what happened to me when my younger brother and I got shipped to Australia to live with some distant relatives. And that's what happened to me when I realised that my so called uncle isn't all that loving.

Moving to another town is hard enough, but moving to another country is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Saying good bye to the childhood memories made in the family room with my younger brother, Tucker. To the multiple 'I love you's' shared with my parents and the few 'I hate you's' yelled out in anger. And saying hello to a new home on the other side of the world is painful. Moving in with people that I've only met once before in my life is near torture. And having to pretend that I'm normal and perfectly fine is excruciatingly painful, especially when my life started to crash 6 months ago and it still hasn't burnt out.

My name is Etta Gordon and this is the story of how I watched my life crash into little shards of glass around me and how I could do nothing to stop it. It's also the story of how someone who loses everything they have can come back from the destruction of their life and still be standing.


	2. It's Time

It all started with a phone call. One call to my parents because I had snuck out to go to a party and gotten drunk despite promising that I wouldn't. That one call changed my life. Because of that one call, because of my stupid mistake, my parents had gotten into the car to pick me up. Because of my stupidity, my parents were involved in an accident where they were hit head on by a truck driver. Due to that one call that I made, and then one made to me by the local police, my world got flipped on its head. My parents never even made it to the hospital and one week later I was shipped off to Australia with my little brother to live with the only living relative that we have left - an uncle John that we had only met a handful of times when we were younger. The last time I had seen him I had been 10. That was seven years ago. All of this happened six months ago.

Its been six months since my parents died and its been five months and three weeks since I arrived in my own personal hell - Melbourne, Australia. Its been five months since the loving uncle that I remember became not so loving. And its been five months since I retreated into a shell of the person that I used to be, preferring to spend my time locked in my room crying during the day and dreading what was to come during the night.

I know that Tucker, my younger brother, is worried about me as we have been living in Australia for almost six months and I refuse to meet anyone, despite him making friends and trying to get me to join him and meet them. I also know that me wanting to be alone won't last much longer as I begin year 12 tomorrow. As of tomorrow, I have to pretend hat everything in my life is normal and that nothing is wrong.

* * *

'Etta. You have to get up!' I heard Tucker yelling through my door. I groaned in response and looked at the alarm clock. _7:23. Ugh!_ I rolled out of bed and walked to the doors of my closet. As I walk, I take notice of my reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall. There's not much of a difference to what there was six months ago, just bags under my eyes and a slight dip in how much I weigh. If it wasn't for Tucker, I'm sure I would've wasted away into nothing by now. _Stupid protective brother making sure I eat food._

I continue on my way to the closet, grabbing the school uniform and a towel on the way to the bathroom. Stripping down, I jump in and do the normal routine - wash hair, acne scrub the face and use raspberry body lotion. After drying myself off and putting on the standard school uniform - blue and black tartan skirt, whit button up shirt, black tights, blue blazer and black flats - I turn to the sink and plug in the hair dryer. I used to love doing my hair each morning before school, but now it just feels like a chore. After drying my hair, I pull to back and braid it into a fishtail. _Better make myself look half good _I think before grabbing the concealer to hide the bags under my hazel eyes.

After finishing in the bathroom, I grab my school bag and make my way down stairs for breakfast, taking extra care to sneak past my uncle's room on the way down. I know he's still asleep as he never gets up until past 10 am on weekdays. I walk into the kitchen to find my little brother already dressed in his khaki coloured school pants, white shirt, blue tie and blue blazer, making me lunch with a bowl of strawberry yoghurt and a glass of orange juice sitting on the counter waiting for me

'Thank you Tuck. You don't have to do this for me you know. I can make my own lunch,' I say in barely a whisper. It's been months since I've said more than a few words, and I'm struggling to find my voice.

'If I don't make you breakfast Et, I know you won't eat. And I've always made you lunch. Everybody knows that you can't cook to save your life,' he replies with a slight smile on his face. I silently agree with him. I reluctantly eat the food in front of me, knowing that if I don't eat it will only upset Tucker, and he's the only one who looks at me the same way he did before the accident.

We leave the house at 8:30 in my 1969 Ford Mustang. When we arrive at Rainbow Secondary College, the students still outside stop whatever they're doing and turn to stare at us. I get out of the car and follow Tuck on his way to the general office. On our way there I notice a group of four people, one girl and three boys. Once they come to a stop in front of us I take a good look at them. They all look gorgeous and make the boring school uniform look like it belongs in a fashion magazine.

The girl at the front is at least six inches taller than me with short spiky brown, almost blonde hair and hazel eyes. She has quite a tan complexion and she looks similar to the boy standing to her right. _They must be related._ The boy is only slightly taller than the girl. He has dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and is quite attractive. The boy on the left is the same height as the boy on the right, but not as tanned. He also has dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes. I notice a second girl standing slightly behind that boy. She is only just taller than me and has bright red hair and green eyes. She almost looks like a christmas tree.

The last person standing there is the most gorgeous human being I have ever met. He is tall, at least a foot taller than my 5'4 frame. He has blonde hair that looks like he has just rolled out of bed and baby blue eyes that are staring straight back at me. As I take in the rest of his face I notice a lip piercing that just screams sexy. He isn't as tan as the others, but still isn't as pale as some people that I've met. Although he's tall, he isn't gangly. His frame is well built and I can see the outlines of his muscles through his shirt due to his unbuttoned blazer. If I had of met him at some other time in my life, I may have tried to flirt with him. But now, even though he's gorgeous, I just don;t have the heart to even attempt to flirt or start a relationship with.

'Et, this is Charley,' Tucker says pointing to the girl in the front. 'Brian and Darcey,' he points to the boy and girl on Charley's right. 'Nate,' he points to the boy on her left, 'and Luke,' he says to the God like boy on the far left. _Luke. The name fits him perfectly._ Each one of them say hello to me and I give a slight nod of my head and a tentative smile in return. I don't trust myself to speak around them yet.

After the introductions, Tucker continues to lead the way to the office, with the rest of the group following behind us. As we walk, I feel eyes on my back, in particular my ass, and I can't help but gain a little confidence. I turn my head to look behind me and find Luke looking at me with a slight smirk on his face. It's like one look from him and it makes me feel better.

As soon as this though leaves my head, I can't help but feel guilty. When I feel Tucker grab my hand in reassurance, I can feel the tears starting to well in my eyes. Blinking them back and willing them not to fall, I look ahead. _I promise that I will not cry today. Today will be a good day._

As we walk through the office doors, I can't help but feel that maybe the destruction that has happened lately in my life is finally coming to a stop. And that maybe, just maybe, things will starts to get better from now on. I mean things can't get any worse then they already are and I feel like it's time to heal, despite how long it may take and how hard it gets or how much it hurts. It's time.


End file.
